LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers handshake after the game on February 5, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last year at this time, I wrote a piece entitled End-of-summer Disjointed Basketball Thoughts. Among other things, I wrote that school should start after Labor Day as God intended, questioned the NBA’s “max” and “supermax” contracts (how can something be more than the maximum?), and (most importantly), why the Spurs’ three excellent guards was a good thing, not a problem.
Little did we know in August of 2025 that those three guards would propel the Spurs to a completely unexpected and joyous regular season and playoffs. Until, of course, well, you know.
DBT 1. I will start this season’s End of Summer Disjointed Basketball Thoughts with a DBT from last August:
DBT 6. The Portland Trailblazers were just sold to a guy who owns the Carolina Hurricanes in something called the “National Hockey League”. Never heard of it. Anyway, the Blazers have a long history in Portland and a passionate fan base. I am sure that Blazer fans have nothing to worry about just because their new owner is based in another state. Hold that thought just one second — one of my ex-players from Seattle is on the line…
Like San Antonio, Portland has only one professional sports team. (Don’t tell me that soccer or hockey teams count.) I was born in Portland and still have family in Oregon, which makes the arena turmoil surrounding the Blazers and their cheapskate owner doubly distressing. Once again, a billionaire owner doesn’t want to pay for stuff that will make his asset more valuable — with the implied threat to move elsewhere if he doesn’t get his way.
I really hope that the Blazers cut some sort of a deal to stay where they belong — Portland losing the Blazers would be terrible. One thing working in Portland’s favor is that Portland is surely a better and more proven market than the alternatives. I don’t think the NBA would allow the Blazers owner to poach either Seattle or Las Vegas – the other owners surely want the massive expansion fees from those locations. If those cities are off the table, what’s left? Kansas City or St. Louis? Louisville? Kansas City and St. Louis? No thank you. Portland wins. Unfortunately, Seattle won too — but lost their team anyway.
DBT 2. I recently met a guy at a beach party wearing a Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cap. He was from Cincinnati and said one of the best moments in his life was when Griffey came home to sign with the Reds after years of playing in Seattle. Griffey Jr. grew up in Cincinnati because his father Ken Griffey Sr. played for the Reds for many years. The guy with the Griffey hat and I decided that Griffey Jr. may be the most universally beloved baseball player of the past 50 years.
That got me thinking about whether basketball has had a similar player: someone that everyone admires, even fans of other teams. The first player I thought of is Dr. J. Among present players, probably Steph Curry. On a much smaller scale (in every way), maybe Patty Mills? Anyone else?
DBT 3. You may have heard that LeBron James signed with the 76ers. Yeah, it was in the news. While it would have been more fun if he had teamed up with Curry in the over-35 league Warriors, Philadelphia was clearly the best spot for him to maximize possible basketball success.
I told my buddy TD, a 76ers fan, that the NBA should allow the team to play with two basketballs. Another new 76er, Jaylen Brown, took the most shots in the league last year: 1,543. Another 76er, Tyrese Maxey, took the second most shots with 1,501. If Joel Embiid had played 82 games, his 18.3 shots per game would have put him in third with 1,500 shots. Of course, Embiid didn’t play 82 games, never has and never will. That, and LeBron’s age might be the only things keeping the 76ers from being a powerful team (if the league does allow the two-ball thing).
And if they somehow keep Embiid and LeBron healthy for a long playoff run, the 76ers start two small guards who will have a tough time matching up in the NBA Finals against a team with two big powerful guards. Just saying…
DBT 4. The team LeBron left, the Lakers, has a guy who led the league in shots per game in 2025-26. Luka Doncic averaged over 22 shots per game. Several guys from my Sunday morning game beat that easily — and our games only go to 19, counting by twos and threes.
DBT 5. One last LeBron comment. I promise. While the GOAT argument will go on forever (or until Victor Wembanyama surpasses both LeBron and MJ), “best career” has been resolved in LeBron’s favor. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had it for a long time, especially if you include his three NCAA titles at UCLA. He also won Finals MVP at 38 years old, after averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in the 1985 Finals. But LeBron’s seasons in his 40’s have put him over everyone, including Kareem.
DBT 6. All Spurs fans loved seeing those videos of much of the team working out with Victor in France. My invitation and Air France plane ticket must have gotten lost in the mail.
The Spurs players who made the trip had a much better time than several friends who ventured to France this summer, only to arrive during the hottest July in France’s history — with much of the country on fire. As is Spain. And Greece. And Canada. Closer to home, Colorado, Oregon and Spokane Washington have had devastating wildfires, some of which are still burning. A few days ago, the worst air quality in the world was in Portland, Oregon. Other parts of the country, including South Texas, have suffered from massive flooding, while tornadoes have stormed through the midwest. El Nino is cooking the Pacific Ocean.
I know Pounding the Rock is about hoops, but we also need to pay attention to what is happening in the world. It is burning. It’s not too late to fix things, but “too late” is getting a lot closer. Let’s go renewable with solar and wind so Spurs fans can worry about the opposing team’s shooters getting hot, not the planet.
DBT 7. OK, back to hoops. In November of last season, I was able to attend a Spurs game in LA and wrote this:
All of which led to this from the Pulse (on the Athletic) picking Wednesday’s Spurs vs. Lakers as the game of the night:
NBA: Spurs at Lakers 10 p.m. ET on ESPN Wemby-powered San Antonio (5-1) heads West to meet an impressive Lakers team that’s 6-2 despite missing LeBron James for the entire year thus far and Luka Dončić for half of those games. For now, outside of Oklahoma City, this is the class of the Western Conference. Good game.
We know now that the Spurs did indeed remain among the elite. Indeed, they became the elite. This season they will be the hunted, not the hunter.
I am happy to see that the other two teams in the elite may have taken a small step backwards. OKC traded away some of their depth, including Lu Dort. I won’t miss that guy. The Knicks lost key back-up center Mitchell Robinson, and moved back a bit by replacing him with Andre Drummond. Both Robinson and Drummond are below 50% career free throw shooter, but Drummond is 4 years older, and frankly just not as good.
We will have much more to say about this later, but for now, I will just say that the Spurs should be even better than last season’s joyous success. For many reasons. We are all looking forward to it.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 09: Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays comes home to score during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sigh. Cam Schlittler goes seven innings, allows only one run to a pretty potent Braves lineup, the bullpen gets six scoreless outs, and the Yankees lose. “You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.“ Also though. Baseball can be profoundly dumb sometimes.
To make matters worse, the Rays won again. That puts the Yanks 5.5 games back of first in the AL East. And even though the Red Sox lost on Sunday—a surprising Fenway series loss against a bad team—objects in the rear view mirror are closer than they should be considering how awful they were for all but 37 games or so this season. The Beantown Boys lurk 1.5 games behind New York in the Wild Card race. Awful, awful turn of events on the whole.
Tampa Bay Rays (71-46) 4, Seattle Mariners (56-63)
Oh Seattle. What happened to you? Sunday, the M’s managed to get on the board first, thanks to a Taylor Ward triple and an RBI single from Cole Young. But it was all downhill from there. Rays starter Ian Seymour completely shut down the Seattle offense, going six innings and allowing the lone run on his ledger.
Offensively, Chandler Simpson wreaked havoc for Tampa Bay. Not your grandpappy’s No. 3 hitter, Simpson held down that spot in the lineup today. Four hits later, he raised his season average to .304. Considering his .850 OPS in the last 30 games, it’s hard to argue with that lineup placement. Simpson was not alone either. Yandy Díaz notched a quartet of knocks of his own. All told, the top three hitters in the Rays lineup went 9-for-15 on the day. Runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings gave Tampa the lead and they cruised to the win. As an aside, “Mariners Memes” has to be one of the saddest accounts on social media. Be kind to your Mariners fans friends. They are going through it.
Boston Red Sox (64-53) 3, The Athletics (47-71) 4: A hearty “thank you, kindly” to the lowly A’s, who went into Fenway this weekend and took a series from the incandescently hot Red Sox. Sunday, it was a late comeback that got the job done. Trailing 3-2 in the eighth with two outs, Jonah Heim stepped to the plate for the A’s. His double to left field knotted the score and set the stage for heroics. In the ninth, with old “friend” Aroldis Chapman on the mound and a runner on, Max Muncy clubbed an RBI double of his own. That scored what ended up being the winning run, handing Boston what is a rare loss these days. You love to see it.
Houston Astros (60-59) 2, San Diego Padres (62-57) 7: With Seattle stuck in the mud at seven games under .500 and four games back, the AL West looks to be shaping up as a two-horse race between the two Texas clubs. Houston’s loss Sunday keeps them a mere half-game up on the Rangers, who also fell to the Orioles. Former Yankee Randy Vásquez, sent to the Dads in the Trent Grisham trade, started for San Diego and other than surrendering a two-run home run to Daulton Varsho in the first pitched very well. Meanwhile, it was home run derby at the dish for the Padres, with four different hitters going yard. Fernando Tatis Jr. provided the key blast, with his three-run shot giving San Diego a lead they never surrendered.
Chicago White Sox (61-56) 5, Cleveland Guardians (58-61) 3: It’s early August and the Chicago White Sox are still atop the AL Central. Who woulda thunk it? Sunday, they really did themselves a favor taking down divisional foe Cleveland. A prolonged rain delay (2:23) meant this became a battle of the bullpens. The ChiSox were up to the task. They bookended the contest giving up a lone run in the first and ninth innings. But that was all. And in the third, Colson Montgomery provided all the thump Chicago needed with a three-run home run, his 26th of the season.
Perhaps most surprising of all about the wacky AL Central: second place is not occupied by Cleveland or even Minnesota; they’re both four back of Chicago. In fact, it’s the now the Tigers, who despite throwing in the towel by trading not only Tarik Skubal but also Casey Mize have suddenly won seven of nine and trail the Pale Hose by 3.5 games. Detroit is also the closest team to the Rangers for the last Wild Card spot, one game behind (for those curious, the Yanks are seven ahead of Texas). Could they be channeling the Tigers club from two years back in going from deadline sellers to a last-minute playoff berth? In this underwhelming American League field, why the hell not?
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 09: Jack Weisenburger #82 of the New York Mets talks to the media following his MLB debut during the game between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sunday, August 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Having resigned themselves to the inevitability of loss and anguish for 2026, the Mets have suddenly stopped losing.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 06: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth inning at American Family Field on August 06, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to week 20 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (74-44); 5-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers went 5-2 at home this week, taking three of four from the Pirates before winning two of three against the Twins.
Jackson Chourio anchored the offense with four homers and seven walks this week, driving in five. Andrew Vaughn led the team with six RBIs while also homering, and Brice Turang led the team with eight hits, driving in five.
Kyle Harrison made the best start of the week in his return from the IL, totaling five scoreless with 10 strikeouts before being removed due to cramps. Aaron Ashby added to his win total with five scoreless innings over four appearances this week, striking out 11, while Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, Garrett Stallings, Abner Uribe, and Bryse Wilson also had scoreless weeks.
Milwaukee now heads back to California, as they’ll face the Padres for three games and the Dodgers for four games over the next week.
2. Chicago Cubs (69-50); 6-1 this week; 98.9% chance to make postseason
The Cubs had a solid week against some solid opponents, sweeping the Dodgers at home, beating the Blue Jays in a makeup game on Thursday, and winning two of three against the Royals in Kansas City over the weekend.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ both slugged a pair of homers this week, with PCA and Michael Busch (who also homered) tying for the team lead with 10 hits apiece. Eight other Cubs had a homer this week, too.
Just about every starter with the exception of Clay Holmes had a good week, as Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, and David Peterson went a combined 4-0 with 11 earned runs across 37 1/3 innings (2.65 ERA). Tyler Ferguson, Ryan Rolison, Trent Thornton, Jake Woodford, and Jacob Webb all had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, with Webb picking up a pair of saves.
After an off day on Monday, Chicago will take on the Nationals for three games in Washington before returning home to host the Cardinals over the weekend.
3. Cincinnati Reds (56-61); 3-3 this week; 0.5% chance to make postseason
The dropoff between the Brewers and Cubs and the rest of the division has only gotten more drastic as the season has gone on. The Reds had an OK week, as they swept the A’s at home before being swept by the Nationals in Washington for a .500 week overall.
Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Eugenio Suárez each slugged a pair of homers, while Sal Stewart had a team-high six hits, including a homer.
Rhett Lowder turned in the best start of the week, going six solid innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts. Pierce Johnson, Zach McCambley, Luis Mey, and Emilio Pagán totaled seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts for the bullpen.
Cincinnati gets a day off on Monday before they play the White Sox for three games in Chicago. They’ll then return home to host the Marlins over the weekend.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (59-59); 4-2 this week; 6.7% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals won two of three against both the Yankees and Rockies for a 4-2 week.
Alec Burleson had five hits this week, including a team-high four homers, as he also doubled and drove in seven. Iván Herrera led the team with 10 hits, including a homer and three doubles, driving in four, while Jordan Walker, Jimmy Crooks, and Nathan Church also homered.
Andre Pallante turned in the best start of the week, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts to earn the win. Kyle Leahy (five innings, two earned runs) and Justin Bruihl (4 2/3 innings, one earned run) also had solid weeks, while Caleb Ferguson, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien all had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, with O’Brien picking up three saves.
St. Louis now hosts the Phillies for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then head to Wrigley to take on the Cubs over the weekend.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-62); 2-5 this week; 8.2% chance to make postseason
The Pirates had another rough week, losing three of four in Milwaukee before dropping two of three to the Mets over the weekend.
Brandon Lowe and Endy Rodríguez each slugged two homers this week, while Jake Mangum led the team with eight hits, including three doubles and a homer.
Bubba Chandler was the sole bright spot in the rotation, picking up two wins with just three runs allowed (two earned) over 11 2/3 innings, striking out 10. Camilo Doval, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramírez, and Luke Weaver combined for 10 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 15.
After an off day on Monday, the Pirates will visit the Marlins for three games before returning home to host the Red Sox over the weekend.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 6: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to the media at Francis J. Myers Recreation Center on August 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let the record show that in answering the first question of his first news conference as a 76er last Thursday, Jaylen Brown invoked the word “process.” And if you listened closely, you could just about hear reporters’ eyes rolling as they hunkered down in the sweltering Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in West Philly.
Full context: Asked about a whirlwind offseason that brought him by trade from the Celtics to the Sixers, he said the following: “It’s been a process. To be honest, I’m still processing to some degree, just one, the excitement of coming to a new city, new place, new expectations, new energy, then also leaving somewhere that you’ve been for a very, very long time.”
That word again – process. Lord help us all.
Brown continued on from there. Asked how he might incorporate his game into a nucleus featuring LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, he said, “My focus is winning. … At this point in my career, nothing else just really moves me.” Asked about a possible schism with Jayson Tatum, his co-star in Boston, he said, “On my end, it’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well.”
So rote. So predictable.
Brown did admit that when he learned of the deal that brought him to Philadelphia, he “just threw (his) phone across the room.” He also said that he and Tatum haven’t spoken since the move – make of that what you will – and that he didn’t appreciate some of the things others said in the wake of the trade.
“I think,” Brown said, “people attacked my character.”
But beyond that, it was a pretty workmanlike presser – not quite out of the Crash Davis handbook, but certainly on the same library shelf. Brown said what needed to be said, addressed what needed to be addressed. No harm, no foul.
In a larger sense, his approach figures to serve the Sixers well, as they embark on a most fascinating chemistry experiment. They need a buttoned-down, steady-as-he-goes guy like him. They need the consistency and reliability of someone who scores a ton, guards hard and speaks tactfully.
What they don’t need is a prima donna. And they certainly don’t need any drama. They’ve had enough of that in recent years, with James Harden and Ben Simmons and, let’s be honest, Embiid. With everything from Markelle Fultz’s thoracic outlet syndrome to Tobias Harris’ playoff disappearances to the outlook of Jimmy Butler, perhaps the only person on the planet who didn’t like Brett Brown.
Now the focus is on melding the talents and egos of a bunch of guys (many of them new) who don’t lack for either. And certainly Jaylen Brown would seem to be the one who will have to make as big an adjustment as anyone.
With Tatum missing most of last season due to an Achilles tear, Brown put up a career-high 21.7 shots a game, second-most in the league to Luka Doncic (22.8). Brown also attempted nearly 16 two-pointers a night, an NBA high, which resulted in a red alert at stat-nerd headquarters. One individual in the pocket-protector crowd went so far as to tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks that Brown was viewed as “the seventh-best player on a team.”
And, well, sure. All of us can see that. It’s a wonder the guy is even in the league.
Back in this galaxy, he finished sixth in MVP voting and made All-NBA Second Team, having scored at a 28.7 point-per-game clip. That too was a career best, and led to a surprising No. 2 seed for the C’s in the East (which went for naught, since the Sixers came from 3-1 down to upset them in the first round of the playoffs).
But now he might be second, third or even fourth fiddle. Maxey took the third-most shots in the league in 2025-26 (21.4), which like his scoring average (28.3) was a career high. Combine that with the fact that Embiid (26.9 ppg) put it up over 18 times a night (albeit in 38 regular-season appearances) and Edgecombe (16 ppg) fired nearly 14 times a game, and the full scope of the challenge becomes clear.
That would appear to be where LeBron comes in. He squeezed off just over 15 shots a game for the Lakers in 2025-26, fewest in any of the 23 seasons he has played to date, while averaging about 21 points a game. Given his skill as a passer, he will have an enormous say in how successful (and happy) everyone is.
“Obviously on paper we look great,” Brown said, “but let’s all slow down. It takes real work every single day in order to make something like this happen.”
Work, he added, that has already begun. The five starters have been communicating on a text chain, which among other things led Brown to suggest that everybody go skydiving if the Sixers win the title – and James to dismiss that idea out of hand.
As for Brown, he said he is “looking forward to doing whatever it is I need to do,” while adding that he will talk to “whoever I need to talk to, to make sure that we get on the same page and that everybody’s focused on the same thing. Because we do that, then we’ll be where we want to be.”
He sees the big picture, in every sense. When he was coming out of Cal before the 2016 draft, an anonymous personnel guy told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears that Brown “might be too smart for the league,” a nice way of asking, Does he want it badly enough?
Understandable, since he took actual courses during his year at Berkeley (even a graduate course), and has a wide range of off-court interests beyond skydiving, like anime, chess, learning foreign languages (he speaks Spanish and Arabic) and music (he plays acoustic guitar and the piano). His philanthropic pursuits during his decade in Boston – pursuits centering on curtailing income inequality and increasing opportunities for young people in underserved communities – drew praise, and he pledged to continue that work here. (The site of last Thursday’s presser was hardly a coincidence, and as he entered the Myers Center’s gym beforehand he dapped up the dozens of kids who had lined up to greet him – each wearing a blue Sixers T-shirt with his name and No. 7 on it.)
But basketball is the platform that allows him to do all that, and he seems well aware of that, too. In Boston he was a five-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and in 2024 a Finals MVP, when the Celtics beat Dallas for the title. Now he’s here, and part of an ensemble cast that has the entire city buzzing.
That includes a man named Lovelace Acquaye, my cabbie on the way to Thursday’s news conference. A native of Ghana, he said he’s been driving for 20 years. He has warm memories of Allen Iverson and is a fan of Embiid’s, seeing as Cameroon is not far from his homeland.
And what of this season?
“No excuses,” he said. “They got to make us proud this time.”
A little while later, the last thing Jaylen Brown said in his first presser as a 76er was this: “Let’s get to it.”
Yes, the time is fast approaching when they will “throw the ball up,” something he has been saying on social media since the trade went down. And by all means let’s do that. Let’s throw it up and see if the Sixers can meet the moment. Let’s see if they can soar so high that skydiving becomes a realistic possibility.
MILWAUKEE, WI - CIRCA 1976: Head coach Don Nelson of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during an NBA basketball game circa 1976 at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nelson coached the Bucks from 1976-87. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, news broke that NBA and Milwaukee Bucks legend Don Nelson had passed away at the age of 86.
Hall of Famer Don Nelson, three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five times a champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.
The family has issued this statement:
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson… pic.twitter.com/MkDMNugYcu
Nelson, affectionately known as “Nellie,” was a hugely successful player and coach whose ingenuity helped shape the game into what it is today.
Player
A 14-year pro, Nelson played his rookie season with the Chicago Zephyrs, then his next two for the Los Angeles Lakers before signing as a free agent with the Boston Celtics. There, he went on to play 11 seasons, winning five NBA Championships. In Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, he famously hit a clutch shot with just over a minute to go to give the Celtics the lead in what would become their 11th title in 13 seasons.
An ironman on the court, Nelson played all 82 games six times across his career, including an unfathomable five times in a row from 1967-68 to 1971-72. In total, he accumulated 10,898 points (10.3 PPG), 5,192 rebounds (4.9 RPG), and 1,526 assists (1.4 APG). He recorded a personal career-high 40 points against the San Diego Rockets in 1970 and posted a career-high 22 rebounds against the Boston Celtics in 1968.
Coach
While a quality player and pivotal member of many championship teams—you don’t get your jersey number retired in Boston if you’re not—Nelson arguably left his biggest mark on the league as a coach. When it comes to Milwaukee, there’s no doubt about it.
Nelson moved to the Bucks as an assistant coach immediately after his playing career finished and, after head coach Larry Costello resigned following a 3-15 start, took over the reins. In his second season at the helm, he led the Bucks back to the playoffs; in his fifth, he took them to 60 wins, third most in the league. It was the beginning of a golden era of basketball in Milwaukee, with the Bucks winning at least 50 games in each of the next six seasons. In that time, the Bucks won seven straight Central Division championships and reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times, losing to the eventual champion Philadelphia 76ers in 1983 and succumbing twice to Nelson’s former Celtics, who would also go on to win the NBA Championship, in 1984 and 1986.
Nelson finished his time in Milwaukee as the longest-tenured and winningest coach in franchise history. With 540 regular season wins (61% win percentage), he sits comfortably ahead of second-place Costello (410 wins, 61%), and has nearly twice as many wins as third-placed Mike Budenholzer (271, 69%). He also owns the most playoff victories as a coach in Bucks history (42, compared with 39 for Budenholzer and 36 for Costello).
Following his tenure in Milwaukee, Nelson went on to coach the Golden State Warriors (on two separate occasions), New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks. While unsuccessful in his first stop in Golden State and fired early in his stint in New York, Nelson transformed a floundering Dallas franchise into a legitimate contender—largely on the back of a pair of draft day moves that netted the Mavs Dirk Nowitzki (via the Bucks) and Steve Nash (via the Phoenix Suns)—and later led the 2006-07 “We Believe” Warriors to a historic upset series win against the first-seeded, 67-win Mavericks.
In total, Nelson coached 2,398 games, going 1,335–1,063 (56%), and remains second in NBA history for wins as a coach. For his efforts, he was a three-time recipient of the NBA’s Coach of the Year award (1983, 1985, 1992), and was named to both the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History and the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History during the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary celebrations. Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame as a coach in 2012.
Revolutionary
Beyond his raw success as a coach, Nelson was nothing short of a pioneer. Always looking for a strategic advantage, he was inventive in a number of ways across his coaching stops.
In Milwaukee, this came to fruition through “Nellie Ball” which relied on positional versatility and athleticism. In this system, centres were less pivotal and scoring guards were given the green light through Nelson’s invention of the point forward position, which was made famous by Bucks legends Marques Johnson and Paul Pressey. If this sounds like the forerunner for modern NBA offences, it’s because it was.
In both stints with the Warriors, Nelson leaned into small ball, often employing three-guard lineups, and would frequently forego a centre altogether. Then, with Nowitzki and the Mavs, he helped transform the power forward position into the perimeter-oriented one it has become today—and also brought to prominence the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy that coaches still utilise to exploit poor free throw shooters (see the San Antonio Spurs’ treatment of Mitchell Robinson in last season’s Finals).
In brief, Nelson’s fingerprints are all over the modern game.
Tributes
Nelson’s passing has reverberated across the NBA landscape, such was his impact. Here’s how some notable figures paid their respects, in their own words:
Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me…
What makes his legacy special is that he didn’t just coach — he expanded the way it could be played. His fingerprints on the modern NBA; space/movement/creativity. great player-knows how to play great coach-knows how to teach. Truly special ones change how the game is played. pic.twitter.com/GEgARSrgtY
It’s times like these that truly remind us all of what’s important. Yes, this beautiful game draws so much of our attention—the wins and the losses and everything in between—but, really, it’s the people who matter. And so whether it’s the person across your desk right now or your loved ones at home, be sure to spend that extra moment with them. Tell them what they mean to you. Laugh, cry, connect. Fill your cup. Like Nellie would.
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 08: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
“It was great to have Bobby back, first and foremost, and to be healthy,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I was really happy to be able to put him in there today. Jac, obviously, had a huge day [Saturday], and we saw a lot of mature at-bats from him throughout the homestand.”
There’s no doubt that the Royals have a lot of work to do this offseason to remake their pitching staff, add to the offense and get back to competing in ‘27, which they’ve stated is their goal. The reason why just played out in front of us this week: Witt is a star, Caglianone is emerging as one, and those two anchor a core the Royals believe they can win with right now.
“I thought from a pitching standpoint, it was one of my better outings,” Dobnak said. “Some bad luck on some of those weak hits. I was able to get ahead of a lot of the guys. I gave up probably too many two-strike hits than I would like to. But overall, I thought it was decent outing, results aside.”
“Really impressive, literally from left field to right field,” manager Matt Quatraro said, noting Caglianone’s four hits were sprayed to all parts of the field. “Hard-hit, different pitch types. Obviously, we know he’s got huge power, and we saw that throughout the night. He just seemed really calm at the plate throughout the night, and that was a really good sign.”
“I think me and (Royals hitting coach) Marcus (Thames) had a good talk the last couple of days,” Caglianone said. “Just working with him to find the move and really shrinking the zone. And like tonight was a good night of that.”
Caglianone became the seventh Royals player to record four extra-base hits in a game. He is also the first primary Royals outfielder since Alex Gordon (2013) to post 20 homers in a season.
“I was pitching myself out of my role, pitching myself out of the big leagues at that point,” Cameron said. “I was pitching myself into getting optioned. Obviously, we had a lot of injuries and stuff that helped me stay up here, which sucks because I’d rather be pitching well and everyone be healthy. But then they opened for me, and they presented it just like we were changing it up. I understood, but I had a little chip on my shoulder.
“I take everything seriously, but I needed to turn things around and throw better. That doesn’t mean I need to go 23 innings with one run, although that is nice for sure, but I just need to have quality outings to help the team and show them I can pitch here.”
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 03: Miguel Rojas #72 of the Los Angeles Dodgers signs autographs prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday, August 3, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association on Friday announced the 30 Heart and Hustle Award winners, a player from each team who “exemplify a true passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game.”
Voted on exclusively by former MLB players, the Dodgers Heart and Hustle Award winner this year is infielder Miguel Rojas. The 13-year veteran who plans to retire at the conclusion of the season and move into a role in the Dodgers’ front office is hitting .268/.326/406 with a 100 wRC+ in 180 plate appearances this season, including .324/.366/.490 with a 135 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
The longtime shortstop this season has started 22 games at second base, 15 more at shortstop, and twice at third base. This is the third career Heart and Hustle Award for Rojas, who also was honored in 2019 and 2021 with the Miami Marlins.
Links
Yoshinobu Yamamoto leads the majors averaging 6.63 innings per start, but David Adler at MLB.com notes how Yamamoto is the only one of the top 10 starters by run value to not throw a fastball as his most frequent pitch. Yamamoto through Saturday has thrown his devastating splitter 27.1 percent of the time this season, compared to 26.6 percent for his four-seam fastball.
Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for the Canucks during the 2026–27 season. Today’s player is Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn.
Schenn's 2025–26 Season
Schenn spent last year with both the Winnipeg Jets and the Buffalo Sabres. The 36-year-old recorded seven points in 46 games for the Jets before being dealt to the Sabres at the trade deadline. During his time in Buffalo, Schenn played four regular-season games along with two in the playoffs.
Once the off-season rolled around, Schenn chose to join Vancouver for the third time in his career. The right-shot defender signed a one-year deal on July 1, which carries an AAV of $2.25 million. Over his career, Schenn has played 139 games with the Canucks and recorded 612 hits.
Schenn's 2026–27 Predictions
Based on Vancouver's roster, Schenn will most likely slot in on the Canucks' third pair beside Elias Pettersson. He will be a key part of the penalty kill when in the lineup and should finish near the top of the team standings for hits at the end of the campaign. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how many games Schenn plays and if he becomes a tradeable asset ahead of the deadline.
One of Schenn's biggest jobs this year will be to help fix the locker room. The two-time Stanley Cup champion will be part of the leadership group and can help guide the younger players on Vancouver's roster as they learn how to become everyday NHLers. Schenn brings plenty of value off the ice and will be relied upon as a culture guy for the organization.
Finally, Schenn is closing in on an NHL record. If he can record 191 hits this year, the former Kelowna Rockets standout will become the first defender in league history with 4,000 career hits. Only one other player has achieved this impressive feat, with that being forward Cal Clutterbuck, who recorded 4,029 hits in 1,064 games.
Jan 24, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn (2) awaits the start of play against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
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The New Jersey Devils don't have a player on their roster who cracked the NHL's list of top-20 defensemen. They have seen Dougie Hamilton on it before, and Luke Hughes has the potential to get his name in the mix, but it didn't happen ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Where there is hope, however, is a potential acquisition for the New Jersey Devils. If the Minnesota Wild don't extend Luke's brother Quinn Hughes, the Devils would be adding an elite player. The NHL ranked him at number two, only trailing Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.
NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of: • 21 total All-Star Game appearances • 11 All-Rookie team honors • Seven Norris Trophies • Seven Olympic Gold Medals • Four Calder Trophies • Two Conn Smythe Trophies • Six Stanley Cups
Of course, it would be an incredible family story if Quinn Hughes came to the New Jersey Devils, but there are hockey reasons that it makes sense as well.
In 2025-26, Hughes had 7 goals and 69 assists for 76 points in 74 games played. He was also the number one defenseman on Team USA, which won Gold in Milano Cortina's 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
If that type of production came to the Devils, with the young core they have in place at forward and on defense, they'd go from playoff hopefuls to Stanley Cup contenders. New Jersey is a franchise rich in history of elite defensemen winning Cups, and Quinn would be a great addition to that.
Quinn was traded to the Minnesota Wild during the 2025-26 season from the Vancouver Canucks, who were made aware that he wanted to eventually play with his brothers when his contract came up. Now, it seems to be a decision between the Wild and Devils for the 26-year-old superstar.
Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier form one of the league's best center duos in the NHL, which is incredibly important for winning in the playoffs, and having that reliable number one defenseman would only enhance their chances.
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Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) dunks against the Jazz during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on March 28, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There’s a moment in every young player’s development where the conversation changes. It doesn’t happen because of one highlight or one box score. It happens when enough people, watching from enough angles, begin to agree on the same thing. John Voita’s piece on Bright Side captured that moment for Khaman Maluach, and it did so with a clarity that Suns fans have been waiting for.
The emotional thesis is simple. We’ve stopped asking if he’ll be good. We’ve started asking how much responsibility he should get.
That shift matters. It’s the kind of shift that pulls a player out of the developmental shadows and into the center of roster conversations. And after Maluach’s four‑game stretch in Las Vegas — 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, eight blocks, eight made threes, and a 40% mark from deep — the question isn’t whether he’s ready for more.
It’s whether the Suns can afford to wait.
The praise wasn’t local. It was national.
Voita’s article didn’t just recap the numbers. It cataloged the chorus of voices around the league. CBS Sports called him “one of the best sophomores at the event.” Bleacher Report placed him on their First Team and highlighted the identical number of blocks and threes — a rare statistical symmetry that speaks to a two‑way profile few centers can claim.
This is the kind of praise that accelerates timelines. This is the kind of praise that forces conversations.
And it’s the kind of praise that makes tomorrow morning’s coffee chat a little louder than usual.
What does this mean for Phoenix?
Let’s be careful here. Careful to remind ourselves of the obvious: that Summer League roles don’t mirror regular‑season responsibilities. That’s true. But it’s also true that some performances demand reconsideration. Some players show enough growth that the old plan no longer fits the new reality.
Maluach didn’t just look improved. He looked structurally impactful. He looked like a player who changes what your offense can be.
And that brings us to the lineup question.
The 5‑out possibility Phoenix has never truly had
For years, the Suns have flirted with spacing but never fully committed to a true five‑out identity. They’ve had shooting. They’ve had skill. They’ve had guards who can bend defenses. What they haven’t had is a center who can both protect the rim and stretch the floor with real credibility.
Maluach’s emergence changes that.
A lineup of:
Khaman Maluach
Miles Bridges
Dillon Brooks
Devin Booker
Jalen Green(or Collin Gillespie as the connective wildcard? Green as 6th man is a completely different conversation)
This finally gives Phoenix a version of spacing that doesn’t compromise size or defense. Booker gets cleaner driving lanes. Bridges gets more second‑side opportunities. Brooks gets matchups he can bully. Green gets a runway. And Maluach becomes the hinge, the piece that allows the offense to breathe without sacrificing the back line.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s built on the numbers we just watched.
The 40% from three: what it really means
Summer League shooting can be noisy, but Maluach’s 40% wasn’t a fluke. It came on eight makes across four games, with attempts integrated into the offense rather than thrown up in desperation. Trail threes. Pick‑and‑pop looks. Spot‑ups created by ball movement.
The volume matters. The comfort matters. The repeatability matters.
If you extrapolate that into a regular‑season role — even a modest one — the implications are significant. A center taking three or four threes per game at a league‑average clip forces opposing bigs to defend in space. It pulls rim protectors out of the paint. It opens up the floor’s geometry in ways Phoenix hasn’t had access to.
And if he maintains anything close to the confidence he showed in Vegas, the Suns suddenly have a center who can anchor both ends of the court while stretching defenses thin.
That’s not a developmental luxury. That’s a rotation‑shaping skill.
So has his Summer League success forced the starting conversation?
Yes. Because the conversation isn’t about hype anymore. It’s about structure.
Voita’s piece captured the emotional turning point — the moment the fanbase collectively realized that Maluach’s growth isn’t just encouraging, it’s actionable. The Suns don’t need to rush him, but they also can’t ignore what he just proved. The team’s best version of itself might already be sitting on the bench, waiting for the door to open.
And if Phoenix wants to explore a true five‑out identity, if they want to maximize Booker’s prime, if they want to build a lineup that can defend, run, and space all at once, then the question isn’t whether Maluach should start.
The question is how soon the Suns decide to try it.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 08: A general view of Oracle Park during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants on Friday, May 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s a new week of San Francisco Giants baseball, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck for the week.
First up, the interleague play continues as the Giants welcome the Houston Astros to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series. After that, the Colorado Rockies come to town on Friday for another three-game series.
I don’t usually intentionally choose the Rockies as the series I’m most interested in for the week. But this season has been weird all around. The Astros are leading the AL West as of the time this is being written, and the Rockies are still in last place in the NL West. So hopefully the Giants can use that series to make sure they stay out of last place themselves.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their series against the Astros tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 4: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes a diving catch during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 4, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Angels 4-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Gabe,” you must be asking: “why are you writing this and why right now?” Excellent question. To be perfectly honest, I would have preferred to save this idea for a later time, but I didn’t actually think of the idea until after I had already watched the original Angels in the Outfield. I watched it mostly because I was curious – by IMDB ratings and the few reviews it has, it suggested it was worth watching. I had seen the remake, but not in at last 20 years. I kind of assumed it would be the same movie, and it wasn’t at all. So I instantly wanted to compare it to the remake, which of course demanded I watch the remake as well. If I waited for a more appropriate time for this post, well I would have to rewatch the original. I liked the original more than I expected, but to use a term from The Ringer – it’s not really a Rewatchable type of movie. So it had to be posted while it was fresh in my mind. Hence the weird timing.
The original (Spoilers if you want to watch it)
The original movie is actually about the Pittsburgh Pirates, because the Angels didn’t actually exist yet. At least not in the majors, pretty sure there was a minor league team named the Angels. The Pirates at the time hadn’t had a winning record since 1948, and the next season they would win 42 games. They wouldn’t have a winning record until the 1958 season. So they picked a perennial loser team to magically turn around.
This movie, especially because I vaguely remembered the remake, has an extremely strange structure. We start by following a reporter, who is of course a beautiful woman played by Janet Leigh. Because 1951 audiences would be very confused about a woman reporter covering baseball, it is of course not her regular beat – I forgot the exact name because this isn’t really a feature of the newspaper anymore, but her normal beat was clearly tailored towards housewives – and she covers the foul-mouthed manager and she has a popular piece lambasting the manager and they have her keep covering the Pirates because of it.
So right off the bat, there’s no reporter equivalent in the remake. I thought we were going to follow the reporter, but the perspective then shifts to the foul-mouthed manager. And I’ll give the movie credit here – them substituting his foul language for indecipherable yelling was a clever way around the Hays Code. Then after another loss, he walks out to the field in the dark, and an angel just starts talking to him, telling him to stop swearing and fighting, and they’ll help him win.
So this is extremely random. The remake has a way better hook, no matter what you think of it. Why are the Angels interested in helping this miserable dude? I guess the ending provides the reason, but there’s kind of still a why this guy quality to the movie. So he listens, they help, a little girl goes to the game one time and claims to see an angel. The press gets involved, and the story blows up. If you have only seen the remake, it will seriously blow your mind how much of a role the press plays in this story. A reporter is one of the three main characters.
Anyway, the manager is kind of mad that the reporter helped blow up the story, but he ends up accidentally confirming he hears angels too after he gets hit in the head by a line drive, clearly concussed. For some odd reason, the hometown announcer with a grudge against the manager for some reason has enough pull to get the manager investigated for his ability to lead the team. This guy got hit in the head by a line drive, and an off-hand comment directly after that happened turns into a full-blown 10-minute hearing (in movie time! I’m sure it was much longer) on basically his sanity. The structure of this movie is really, really bizarre.
The manager ends up seeing the kid a few times, takes a liking to her, the reporter feels bad about blowing up the angel story, so next thing you know, it kind of turns into a family unit. I don’t remember the exact steps it took, but reasonably well done. Except for one small thing. The manager looks like Paul Douglas and the reporter looks like Janet Leigh. You never can quite get over that. I was in disbelief that early 20s Janet Leigh would ever be interested in overweight, foul-mouthed 44-year-old Paul Douglas. Who unfortunately would die at just 52-years-old and not to be too rude to the guy but…. it was not surprising he didn’t have 10 more years on this Earth watching this movie. 44 and 24 isn’t especially heinous to believe, especially at the time, but I have to remind everyone that he does not look like a 44-year-old actor in 2026. He could pass for 60 nowadays easy.
And to be perfectly fair to Douglas, his wife at the time was out of his league, so the real life version of him had ‘game,’ but the way the movie portrays Douglas, that dude would have zero game. Douglas isn’t really miscast and Leigh isn’t really miscast, but the original choice of Clark Cable makes waaaay more sense if you’re going to shoehorn a romance into this. That I can buy. Douglas was borderline too convincing at being a grumpy, mean-spirited loner which again to be fair to him, definitely did a better job than Gable would have on that part. They would have sanded off the edges with Gable. But I would absolutely have zero questions about Gable and Leigh.
And the movie kind of knows this, because boy does it dance around any semblance of romance between the two. She basically just starts cooking for him and the kid and it’s just kind of implied. If it were a modern movie and you filmed it exactly the same way, you would probably assume they were friends or something. There’s not really even a hint that they kissed or anything, except they clearly all live together in the end. This was definitely the right approach given who was cast.
The movies’ baseball scenes are actually kind of great. They had actual baseball players playing baseball. Ralph Kiner and a bunch of real Pirates players you’ve never heard of are really playing baseball. There are cameos from Ty Cobb (before the reporter with a vendetta against him made him poison), minority owner of the Pirates Bing Crosby, and Joe Dimaggio all commenting on the angels helping the Pirates.
Also a strong ending as well, because the angels abandon the Pirates for the last game, because the manager broke his promise about swearing and fighting. So he puts all his faith in a washed up pitcher who has to just gut it out and because it’s 1951, he lets him throw a complete game and it’s interesting how sort of modern the outside commentary is because nobody expects him to throw that many innings and everyone wants him taken out in the 9th, especially when he allows baserunners. Smart choice.
So it’s family friendly, it’s charming enough, and the baseball itself is great and convincing. And because the baseball is pretty well done, if you’re into baseball history, it is kind of interesting to get a little glimpse of maybe what it would be like as a fan in 1951 watching baseball. So that was cool. The structure is very weird, the romance is implausible, and while I think the character clearly changes, it’s not super believable that he would actually adopt a kid – I think he even says this when it’s very much not a sure thing that Janet Leigh will be the mom. Some suspension of disbelief is required, ironically, in the non-baseball parts of the movie.
Solid 2.5/4 stars
The remake
Okay whoever first thought of this idea must have realized it made sense to make it about the Angels this time and rightfully thought it being from the kid who sees angels perspective made more sense as a hook. Interestingly, the Pirates won the World Series 9 years after the 1951 version came out, and the Angels won it 8 years after this one came out.
Alright let’s get the cat of the bag: this movie doesn’t understand baseball at all. This movie got bad reviews because the baseball scenes SUCK. I don’t mind that you can see the angels – found that a weird complaint whenever I came across people talking about the old movie – they would have shown the angels in 1951 if the technology was there. 100 percent. That movie was not ambiguous about the fact that the angels were real, so you can’t really play the pretend “because it didn’t show the angels, it’s a more plausible movie.”
However, the remake does make the angel interventions way less believable. Everyone would believe there were angels impacting the game with how insanely impossible some of the baseball scenes are. They have a centerfielder literally floating to make a diving catch and a guy completely shatters his bat and hits a long homer. I’m guessing the writers or director were not aware at how unlikely a homer would be with a shattered bat.
Then perhaps my biggest baseball-specific grievance, the great decision to pinch hit Adrien Brody for the team’s best hitter. Brody is a utility infielder with a terrible bat. There are three outs to work with in the 9th. Why in god’s name does this movie act like he had to pinch hit for Mitchell? Does the angel benefit somehow not apply if he’s not making a completely illogical move? And then the pitching team commits 10+ errors on one play, but the ball moves on its own and like seriously everyone would believe in a higher power helping the Angels at this point.
And then Tony Danza is a washed up pitcher who the announcer claims hasn’t pitched in this decade, which would be five seasons. Joseph-Gordon Levitt sees an angel by him, says he has to start him, and Danny Glover rightfully points out that he’s not on the active roster. And then the movie ignores this – the game is clearly starting in 10 minutes – and he’s somehow allowed to pitch. Oh yeah and the movie is clearly unaware of what rehab is, because he just pitches in his first live competition against real batters in I guess five years, and yeah I know the angels help him out, but could this movie at least pretend to know anything about baseball.
I’ll get the negatives out of the way first, but I kind of hate the score. This movie got called cheesy, and it is, but a movie like this will have a certain amount of sentimentality and cheese anyway, but the baseball scenes and the score are like 95 percent of the reason it was too much. It doesn’t really feel much like a Disney movie except the score makes sure to tell you it’s a Disney movie.
What does the movie do well? The non-baseball scenes. The plot gets kickstarted, because JGL’s dad (played by Dermot Mulroney) is a real piece of crap and is clearly planning on abandoning him, and he’s in the process of doing it legally. With the Angels in last place, he says they’ll be a family again when the Angels win the pennant. But we the audience, at least as adults, know this guy has no intention of being a father no matter what the Angels do. But JGL prays for it to happen and boom the plot kicks in.
Danny Glover, perfectly cast I might add, ends up finding out the boy is some sort of magic good luck charm, and having nothing to lose, puts him in the seat next to the dugout so he can tell him when angels appear. Totally something a last place, superstitious manager might do without having to believe in angels (he does end up believing).
So they bond together, Danny Glover softens up, JGL’s dad makes it official that he is a waste of space and Glover decides to abandon his important meeting with the owner to make dinner for the two kids on the day JGL finds out his dad doesn’t want him. Disney-fied, but fairly well done stuff. And then this movie finally has some decent baseball scenes at the end when the angels are not allowed to get involved because it’s a championship game. Although it still involves stuff like everybody thinking Glover is gonna pull Danza out of the game on a 3-2 count. Seriously someone involved in this has no clue about baseball.
Weirdly, the movie decides to be very faithful to the original for the end, even including giving Tony Danza 6 months to live, making this the last hurrah of his career and life. It made more sense in the original for the manager to know this, I don’t know why Al told a little kid who recently found out his dad didn’t want him that one of his favorite pitchers was going to die in 6 months, but hey that’s just me. Seriously, why is he telling this little kid that Tony Danza is gonna die? He doesn’t need to know that! They add the waving of the arms for this one, which eh probably worked like gangbusters on me as a kid.
The real reason to watch this as an adult is the casting is un freaking believable. This is a perfectly casted movie. You have JGL, who was a good kid actor, and thank god because these type of movies are completely reliant on the kid being able to act. Tony Danza is honestly great in this movie as the washed-up has-been who suddenly gets the help of angels. Neal McDonough, always great, has a sneaky hard part, being mostly comic relief in sort of a Three Stooges way, but kind of steals every scene he’s in. Jay O. Sanders is fantastic as the slimy announcer. Christopher Lloyd was honestly a better choice than the original pick, Leslie Nielsen. In my opinion. Nielsen was great at the straight man while wacky stuff happens, but that’s not really what this part is.
I could go on. Adrien Brody and Matthew McConaughey have nothing parts as members of the team. Brenda Fricker, who you probably better know as Dove Lady on Home Alone 2 – hits all the right notes. I even feel like the owner was perfectly cast. Seriously, unbelievable job by the casting director. This movie should actually be worse than it is, but the performances make it better than it should be.
This cast is so good that I even believe Danny Glover would adopt the kids. He’s not exactly softened from the original, but Danny Glover has this special ability to be grumpy and frustrated in an entertaining way and still seeming like a good person. Couldn’t have picked a better actor for this role. There’s a genuinely good movie in here somewhere with this cast, but it’s held back by the baseball scenes and frankly Disney.
2/4 stars (it’s probably worse than this, but eh childhood nostalgia)
Last thoughts
So the first movie is a better movie, mostly because it seems to understand baseball. I’m writing this for a bunch of diehards, so that is somewhat essential. But it kind of chooses a bizarre structure for its movie and I think the off the field stuff, while charming, doesn’t really make you care as much as, oh I don’t know, a kid who just wants his dad back. I know there’s a little kid in the original, but it doesn’t really do a great job at making you care. The nuns are simply delightful, so she’s in a great place already. I didn’t mention it above, but one of the very charming things about this movie is the nuns being big baseball fans. I don’t know why, but I just love when movies do things like that. I just love what I’ll term the unexpected fan. I always get a huge kick out of that, in real life or movies.
The remake of the remake by the way should be about the Colorado Rockies. You got to pick a long suffering franchise and hey wacky stuff happens in Coors Field already, that can be built into the script easily. This may be a hokey premise that is hard to make good, but honestly they should make the baseball scenes better and maybe lean more into how dark the story actually is. I mean you don’t need to make it bleak, but like…. the plot of this movie is that this kid’s mother died somewhat recently and his dad doesn’t want him. Woof. I mean Field of Dreams is a beloved movie, some supernatural entity influencing events is clearly not a dealbreaker for a baseball movie.
Good morning. I wanted to take a moment to mention that the Iowa Cubs will play the St. Paul Saints at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on Tuesday at 6:35 CT. That game will be on MLB Network. Since Netflix has the major league FoD game between the Twins and the Phillies, that might be the only place for those of us that don’t have Netflix to see a game at that newly-remodeled field this year.
Two major national writes have basically the same story, so I’ll start with the one that’s not behind The Athletic’s paywall. Jeff Passan has the inside story of how the Dodgers landed Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline and why other teams’ offers fell short. Sounds like the Tigers were simply uninterested in anything the Cubs had to offer and it’s true that they didn’t have the elite pitching prospects that other teams could offer.
And finally, Tyler Kepner was a tiny bit hurt that he wasn’t asked to contribute to the Mariners’ Top 50 players of all-time celebration, as he was a Mariners beat writer 27 years ago. But since the Mariners already announced their Top 50, he announced his 50 most notable Mariners players of all-time. (The Athletic sub. req.) His list tends towards the more humorous and embarrassing.
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Enddy Azocar #19 of the Boston Red Sox talks with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Triple-A: Buffalo Bison (TOR) 9, Norfolk Tides 3
Norfolk starter Michel Forret, recently (re)acquired from Tampa Bay for Tyler Wells, pitched well in his 2026 Orioles org debut: the final line isn’t his fault. Forret threw 4.2 innings and allowed two runs. But Yosver Zulueta allowed four runs in less than an inning as part of a blown save, and Dietrich Enns took the blame for the rest of a six-inning meltdown in the seventh.
In better news, Creed Willems homered, and Rece Hinds hit an RBI double.
A tough-luck loss for Trace Bright, who pitched six innings, allowed one run on just one hit, and struck out eight! The one run came on a solo homer; that’s it. Still, Bright (0-2, 4.56 on the season) will gladly take this result. Three scoreless of relief were pitched by Micah Ashman and Richard Guasch.
Baysox hitters were shut out, but posted six hits, all singles. The six were spread out between Tavian Josenberger, Brandon Butterworth, Anderson de los Santos, Wehiwa Aloy (pinch-hitting), Frederick Bencosme and Douglas Hodo.
High-A: Frederick Keys 15, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI) 8
A big day for a lot of Keys hitters, as you’d expect from the box score. The team as a whole hit four home runs and seven doubles. They also walked 11 times. Three hitters finished with three-hit games: new guy Enddy Azocar (3-for-5, 3 RBI, HR), shortstop Randal Díaz (3-for-6, 4 RBI, HR, 2B), and Colin Tuft (3-for-5, all doubles). Braylin Tavera homered and drove in three.
The bats were so impressive that Frederick’s first two pitchers (Carson Dorsey and Ben Vespi) could allow eight run between them in 5.2 innings and their team still got the win. Good outings were had by Cohen Achen (1.1 IP 0 R), Chandler Marsh (1.0 IP, 0 R) and Todd Kniebbe (1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H).
Twice Delmarva had a big lead and blew it… which is something that happens in a game where each team hits a grand slam. Delmarva allowed four runs to Fredericksburg in the fourth and three more in the eighth. The unlucky culprits: Brayan Orrantia (3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR) and Jack Crowder (1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K). This was a bullpen collective game, and a few people dropped the baton. Opener Esteban Mejía gave his team two scoreless, followed by a scoreless Zac Lampton inning. But Brayan Orrantia was hittable, with four runs allowed. Brendan Parks and Kailen Hamson threw scoreless innings, but Jack Crowder gave up a grand slam.
The Shorebirds scored eight runs on just nine hits, two of those belonged to catch Luis Ortega, who singled in a run in first inning, then hit a grand slam for his team in the sixth inning! Jaiden Lo Re had two hits, and so did Jesús Liranzo.
